THE HUMAN PERSON FLOURISHING IN
technological progress creates unpredictable
TERMS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
SELECTED VIEWS ON TECHNOLOGY
 ARISTOTELIANISM
This views technology as basically a means to an
end.
To Aristotle, technology is the organizing of
techniques in order to meet the demand that is being
posed by humans.
This may seem that technology is primarily
concerned with the product.
Technological pessimism
 Jacques Ellul (1912-1994) French philosopher
 Holds that technology is progressive and
beneficial in many ways, it is also doubtful in
many ways.
 Technological optimism believes that
technology is the answer to all man’s problems.
 According to Ellul’s pessimistic arguments are:
 1. technological progress has a price
 2. technological progress creates more
problems
 3. technological progress creates damaging
effects
 4.
devastating effects
Technological optimism
 This view is strongly supported by technologists
and engineers and also by ordinary people who
believe that technology can alleviate all the
difficulties and provide solutions for problems
that may come.
 The extreme version of this philosophy is
technocratism which holds technology as the
supreme authority on everything.
 Technology is beneficial in many ways but can
also be harmful in many ways.
Existentialism
 The main concern of this view is the existence
or the mode of being of someone or something
which is governed by the norm of authenticity.
This view basically investigate the meaning of existence
or being and is always faced with the selection must
make with which the existent will commit himself to.
Martin Heidegger, a philosopher is one of the most
known supporters of this philosophy.

Martin Heidegger (1889-1996) on science and
technology
 A well-known German philosopher examined
the two usual definitions of technology: means
to an end and a human activity, because he
believed that this kind of confusing and there
are questions to it that we easily overlook.
 He called it the instrumental and
anthropological definition of technology or
simply means by which the human ends are
realized.
The instrumental definition of technology
 According to Heidegger, the instrumental
definition of technology encourages us to view
technology from different periods of time as not
having fundamental differences.
 He explained while technology is geared
towards meeting a human needs, still there is a
difference between older handicraft
technologies with modern technology.
 As it is, “a saw mill on a secluded valley of the
Black Forest is a primitive means compared with
hydroelectric plant on the Rhine River”-
Heidegger 1977
 Heidegger also agued that “technology is by no
means technological” and should not be seen as
merely neutral
 The problem begins when humans see it only as
a means to an end and disregard the fact that
there is a good technology and a bad
technology.
 Another problem Heidegger saw in the
instrumental definition of technology is that it
only invites man to a continual desire to master
it which unconsciously may be making
technology go out of hand.
 Everything depends on our manipulating
technology in the proper manner as a means.
 In order that we may arrive at this, or at least
come close to it, we must seek the true by way
of the correct.
Aristotle’s four causes
 Heidegger further studied Aristotle’s Four
Causes and illustrated it using a silver chalice
which he said owes its make up from the four
causes:
1. Causa Materialis or the Material Cause
(-silver)
2. Causa Formalis or the Formal Cause
(-form or shape)
3. Cuasa Finalis or the Final Cause
(-the purpose)
4. Causa Efficiens or the Efficient Cause
(-agent: silversmith)
 The four causes are all responsible for the
bringing forth of the silver chalice.
 The bringing forth is termed as poesis and this is
characterized by an external force.
 It is bringing something concealed to
unconcealment which then makes technology
as not only means to an end but also a mode of
revealing.
 (the silver chalice was brought forth by the
silver, by its form, for its purpose, by
silversmith.)
 External factors have caused for the silver
chalice to be brought forth.
 On the other hand, something that came
without any external force, like a flower
blooming in the field or a tree bearing its fruits
is termed physis.
HEIDEGGER’S TECHNOLOGY AS A WAY OF
REVEALING
 Heidegger believed that the genuine substance
or the real essence of technology is found in
enframing.
 This is the continuous bringing forth into
unconcealment that which is concealed. This is
a non-stop revealing.
 To further illustrate this, he gave some
examples through contrasting ancient and
modern technology.
 1. he talked about the ancient windmill
 2. he talked about peasant planting seeds only
 3. He talked about wooden bridge that is built
to join riverbanks.
The mode of revealing in modern technology
 Unlock and Expose: It carries the idea that
nature will not reveal itself unless challenge is
set upon it.
 -the hydroelectric plant causes the Rhine to
produce hydraulic pressure which in turn causes
the turbines to work that eventually electricity
is produced.
 Stock piles for future use: As technology is a
means to an end, it aims to meet future
demands.
 The electricity produced by the hydroelectric
plant set upon the Rhine River is being stored
for future use in the community
The essence of technology
 The continuous revealing takes place as man
allows himself to be an agent in the setting
upon of challenges to nature but Heidegger
(1977) argues that this is not mere human
doing.
 Man is able to set upon which was already
unconcealed as he responds to the call of
unconcealment but “ when man, investigating,
observing, pursues nature as an area of his own
conceiving, he has already been claimed by a
way of revealing that challenges him to
approach nature as an object of research , until
even the object disappears into the
objectlessness of standing –reserve.
Enframing
 Gathering of the setting-upon challenges to
bring the concealed to unconcealment.
 Also shows the essence of modern technology.
 Basically putting in order whatever is presented
to the man who sets upon the unconcealed but
it is a two-way relationship:
 -man cannot set himself upon unconcealment
without unconcealment’s call and the
unconcealed will not go into unconcealment
without the man responding to its call.
The danger of the nonstop revealing
  Revealing opens up a relationship between man
and the world but an opening up of something
means a closing down of something which
means as something is revealed, another is
concealed.- ( the rise of a cause-effect
understanding of reality closes off an
understanding of God as something mysterious
and holy)
 Another danger is when man falls into a
misinterpretation of that which is presented to
him. That is when he sees himself in the object
before him rather than seeing the object itself.
The society in the face of science and technology
 When one looks around him now, he will see
that man tends to find his happiness in the
works of modern technology.
 Heidegger argued that this can be prevented if
man will not allow himself to be overwhelmed
with the enframing that he was set upon, but
he pause for a while and reflect on the value of
what is presented anthropological.
CHAPTER 7
Science and technology has changed human landscape.
Man tends to show unlimited contentment-eager to
seek better replacement for anything that performs the
functions of man.
Robots, machines and other technologies are intended
to enhance human condition, or in the future, replace
the human functions in the society.
Human being
 Biologists describe human as having the
attributes of living organisms-including plants
and animals.
-This designates that human being is a complex matter
capable of performing life-sustaining processes. Human
being the highest form of these living organisms is said
to have characteristics which cannot be substantiated
through mere science.
Smith (2012) shared that; we can’t turn to science for
an answer because in the first place, science identified
human being from another creature.
-This intellect supports self-consciousness and
awareness sufficient for the achievement of human’s
function, discovery of truth, and development and
mankind.
What is the meaning of human-being?
 -According to Heidegger, it was originally the
fundamental question of philosophy, which was
pursued by the ancient Greek philosophers but
later on neglected, if not forgotten, in Western
philosophy.
BUT…
-Heidegger is not convinced with the reason used to
justify such neglect the self-evidence, universality, and
indefinability of the concept of being. (Mabaquiao, n.d.)
-Furthermore, he argued that asking for the meaning of
the term “being” doesn’t suggest that the “inquirer” has
no idea about it because in the first place, the meaning
of “being” is associated with the concept of existence,
which means that the “inquirer” already has the idea on
the term “however vague or incomplete”. The
“inquirer” obviously refers to “man” as “being”, focuses
to the “what” of human existence.
- This somehow justifies human being’s adaptability
to environmental changes and ability to manipulate
environment in the interest of survival.
Dasein
 Conversely, Heidegger used the term “dasein”
which literally means “being there” focuses on
the “mode of existence” or the “who” of
“Dasein”. The “modes of existence” is
fundamentally established by two things:
1. Dasein exist in a world
2. Dasein has a self that it defines as it exist in such
world. (Mabaquiao, n.d)
-Hence this support human being’s capacity to
decide on what is good or bad for them.
Understanding human flourishing
It has been discussed that human being is endowed
with innate abilities and characteristics that let him
sustain his function and to survive in the given
environment.
 Human flourishing is defined as an endeavor to
achieve self-actualization and fulfillment within
the context of a larger community of
individuals. This also means access to the
pleasant life, the engaged or good life and the
meaningful life.
 (Seligman, Steen, Park and Peterson, 2005),
stated that human flourishing requires the
development of attributes and social and
personal levels that exhibit character strengths
and virtues that are commonly agreed across
different cultures.
Aristotle’s viewpoint
Aristotle’s teachings suggest that each man’s life has a
purpose and that the function of one’s life is to attain
that purpose.
For Aristotle, happiness (earthly) is the highest desire
and ambition of all human beings.
-And to achieve it, one must cultivate the highest
virtues within oneself. Aristotle believed that human
beings have a natural desire and capacity to know and
understand the truth, to pursue moral excellence, and
to instantiate their ideals in the world through action.
-Furthermore, these actions are geared towards one’s
proper and desired end-flourishing, happiness or
eudemenia.
 According to Aristotle, there is an end of all the
actions that we perform which we desire for
itself. Flourishing is the greatest good of human
endeavors and that toward which all actions
aim. The good is what is good for purposeful
and goal-directed entities. He presented the
various popular conceptions of the best life for
human beings;
 (1) A philosophical life,
  (2) A life of pleasure and
 (3) A life of political activity.
WHAT IS EUDOMENIA?
Etymologically speaking, eudemonia is consists of Greek
words “eu” which means “good” and “daemon” which
means “spirit”.
-meaning “the state of having good indwelling
spirit; a good genius”.
Eudaimonia (also known as Eudaemonism) is a Greek
word, which refers to state of having a good indwelling
spirit of being in a contented state of being healthy,
happy and prosperous.
In moral philosophy, eudaimonia is used to refer to the
right actions as those that result in the well-being of an
individual.
EPICURUS’S VIEWPOINT
Epicurus (born 341 B.C) was a Greek philosopher who
contradicted the metaphysical philosophers.
-he believed that balance and temperature were
created space for happiness.
His view is not more of how happiness can be defined
but more on theory about the real source to experience
it.
 Socrates believed that virtues such as self-
control, justice, courage, wisdom, piety and
related qualities of mind and soul are absolutely
crucial if a person is to lead a good and happy
life. Virtues guarantee a happy life Eudaimonia
 For Plato, Eudaimonia depends on virtue (arête)
which is depicted as the most crucial and the
dominant constituent of euddaimonia.
 Pyrrho, founder of Pyrrhonism, a school of
philosophical skepticism that places the
attainment of ataraxia (a state of equanimity) as
a way to achieve Eudaimonia. Pyrrhonist
practice is for the purpose of achieving epoch.
Nietzche’s viewpoint
Friedrich Nietzche (1844-1900) was a German
philosopher and cultural critic who published
intensively in the 1870s and 1880s.
-He is known for his criticisms on psychological
analyses that resulted to opposing ideas on the people’s
received ideas.
As expected, Nietzche viewed happiness in a different
way. For him happiness is an “ideal state of laziness”.
-Laziness for him is described as to not have any
worries or distress in life.
Flourishing
Philosophers’ views are the evidence of objective sense
of how it means to flourish.
-It accepts that man’s ultimate desire of living is to
flourish and to experience a life of well-being (life that
goes well for him).
Flourishing can either be based on the state of mind (e.g
mental habit) or a kind of value (e.g insights, outlook).
CHAPTER 8
 “The good life is a PROCESS,
not a STATE OF BEING.
It is a DIRECTION, not a DESTINATION”
Carl Rogers, American - Psychologist 1902-1987
AN INTERESTING QUESTION POSTED BY MARK MANSON
“What do you do want out of life?”
PROBABLY ANSWER IN THE SIMPLEST COMMON WAY
“I want to be happy and have a great family and
a job I like”
MARTIN (2012)
“Happiness as loving one's life and valuing it in ways
manifested by sufficient enjoyment and robust sense of
meaning.
Achieving happiness and man's own desire and needs
commonly gives essence for living a good life.
In particular, moral decency and goodness,
authenticity, mental health, self-fulfilments, and
meaningfulness describe it.
DOTSON (2012)
“Every human being aspires to live a good life.
Conversely, man's idea of “good life” differs in many
dimensions.”
The Concept of being good
“GOOD”
Is commonly used interchangeably with the term
“RIGHT”
TRAER (2007)
Explained that the adjectives good and right are related
in meaning, but are not synonyms.
It makes no sense to speak of a “right person” when we
mean a “good person; or the right action as a meaning
for good action.
HOW WE CAN DIFFERENTIATE THE TWO TERMS
THEN?
Taking the right action means correctly applying a norm,
premise, presupposition, rule, standard, or law. This
explains that the term “right” reasons are being used to
justify the principle and its application.
 Right Action compels fulfilling duties and
upholding rights.
-Duty
-Right
 Being good involves having the character and
personal qualities that were justified by reason
as having moral worth.
TRAER 2007
MORALS refer to an individual’s own principles
regarding RIGHT and WRONG.
In Aristotelians view,
“The understand ability of the good is based on the idea
of what is good for the specific entity under
consideration.”
FOR ARISTOTLE
The good is what is good for purposeful, goal-directed
entities.
He defines the good proper to human being as the
activities in which the life functions specific to human
beings are most fully realized.
Being good entails nurturing character and fostering
relationship
Being good
 Character
 Relationship
IT ACKNOWLEDGES THE FACT THAT HUMAN BEING IS
ENDOWED WITH HIS OWN RATIONAL MIND AND FREE WILL.
TIMBREZA (2008) as elucidated by GRIPALDO
(2013)
Explained that in natural ethician's view, “good is that
which is suitable to and proper for human nature.
Whenever it is not proper for human nature, it is bad
and must avoided”
ACTING RIGHTLY means doing the right thing based on
the voice of conscience; otherwise, feeling of guilt, self-
reproach, and remorse will be felt. It follows that a
person, as a human being, has his own consciousness,
of function, survival, and means of having the life he
envisioned.
Thus, considering the aspect of human being nature,
the term “good” denotes a more objective meaning of
“a state or way of being.”
The meaning of this term up to present times remains
vague.
Wise men of the past argued with nature and
prerequisites of the good life.
Similarly, questions such as “Is a meaningful life also a
happy one?” and “Is living with happiness
means living a good life?” are still part of the debates
even of the philosophers.
SOCRATES
“The unexamined life is not worth living for”, the idea of
worthwhile living should be filtered with experience and
vice versa.
ARISTOTLE
Further elucidated the idea of relating the essence of
happiness to achieving well-being and experiencing
good life.
STEVE MUELLER (2016)
THE FOUNDER OF PLANET OF SUCCESS defined the
term as:
A (desirable) state that is primarily characterized by a
high standard of living or the adherence to ethical and
moral laws. As such, the term can both be understood
as the quest for wealth, material possessions or luxuries
and the quest to create a worthwhile, honest and
meaningful existence.
MARTIN HEIDEGGER
An existentialist philosopher also has a different view on
the aspect of life. He dealt more on how we live an
“authentic life” rather dealing with the “good life”. For
Heidegger, living an authentic life means living with
deep acceptance on the facticity of “death” and
resulting to a “life lived according to what it has clearly
decided as its meaning and purpose”.
CAN TECHNOLOGY EVENTUALLY EXTINGUISH
HUMANITY?
No one can deny that fact that SCIENCE and
TECHNOLOGY has a PROFOUND impact on how modern
man thinks and appreciates matter. It can be concretely
seen in the present conditions of man in the society.
The desire to feel satisfaction of research and
development through genetic engineering, cloning and
the likes opened endless doors for skeptics.
(TIMBREZA, 2013)
On the other hand, man's varied ethical foundations
may also differentiate the idea of good life. Some may
define it through attaining pleasure (hedonism); others
may relate it to peace of mind through minimizing
desires and passions (stoicism) and some views are
based on professing moderate pleasure, which for
them, “anything that is taken in excess is bad”
(epicureanism)
“What good life is?”
-HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY.
  By the use of technology, man is doing illegal
things

 New technology like mobile is generating bad

consequences to the children.

 By means of modern technology, terrorist use it

for destructive purpose.

 Many illnesses are created due to the

development of atomic energy and atom bomb.

 Modern technology like nuclear energy have

not only affected and other creatures.

 Natural beauty is decreasing due to the

development of modern technology.

WHEN TECHNOLOGY LIMITATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY TO HUMANITY

AND HUMANITY CROSS

 “It has become appallingly obvious that
technology has exceeded our humanity.” –
Albert Einstein

ADVANTAGE, DISADVANTAGE AND LIMITATIONS

OF TECHNOLOGY

 Technology has a profound on every aspect of

lives. The way we live, interact changes through FACTORS THAT DEFINED THE LIMITS OF TECHNOLOGY:
technology in the different fields of education,
medicine transportations, economy,  The law of physics
communications and politics.
 The law of software
ADVANTAGE OF TECHNOLOGY
 The challenge of algorithm

 The difficulty of distribution

 The problem of design

 The problem of functionality

 The importance of the organization

 The impact of economics

 The influence of politics

DISADVANTAGE OF TECHNOLOGY THE LAW OF PHYSICS

 Humans had misused the technology and used Through software a flexible medium. The
in damaging purpose Quantum and Thermodynamics effects that limits the
use of technology
THE LAW OF SOFTWARE AND ALGORITHMS
A software limitation: There are a given
computation that we can’t do it, or we cant afford it and
sometimes we don’t know how to do it.
- David Harel’s delightful book
THE DIFFICULT OF DISTRIBUTION
A distribution system is one in which the failure
of a computer you didn’t even know existed can render
your computer unusable.
- Leslie Lamport, American computer scientist
THE PROBLEMS OF DESIGN
Web-centric system consist of ten thousands of
lines of customs code on top hundreds of thousands
lines of middleware code on top of several million lines
of operating system code.
“Everything should not be multiplied unnecessarily”
- William Occam
Isaac Newton projected Occam”s works into physics by
nothing. “We are admit no more causes of natural
things such are both true and sufficient to explain their
appearances”
“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but
not simplier.” - Albert Einstein
 THE PROBLEM OF FUNCTIONALITY
Brooks writes: To consider the requirements
functionally, and non-functionally of a machine has a
limitation.
IMPORTANCE OF ORGANIZATION
“None Person can ever understand such a
system completely”
– Booch (2003)
More developers mean more complex
communication and hence more difficult coordination,
particularly if the team is geographically dispersed.
With team of developers, the key management
challenge is always to maintain a unity and integrity of
design.
THE IMPACT OF ECONOMICS
Technological Advancement cost money
According to Barry Boehm in his classic work on:
Software Engineering Economics, based upon empirical
evidences, concludes that the performance of a project
can be predicted according to the equation:
PERFORMANCE = (COMPLEXITY X PROCESS) X TEAM X
TOOLS
PERFORMANCE – effort or time
COMPLEXITY – volume of human- generated code
PROCESS – maturity of process and notation
TEAM – skill set, experience and motivation
TOOLS – software tools automation
THE INFLUENCE OF POLITICS
 Investment in software development is the key
to success; the political organization can
influence its progress and limitation. Great
things could have provided if the politics
influences are on a positive side.
HUMANITY
 From the latin word “humanitas” which means
“human nature, kindness.”
 Humanity is the human race, which includes
everybody on earth.
 It’s also a word for the qualities that make us
human, such as the ability to love and have
compassion, be creative and not be a robot or
alien.
POLICIES AND TECHNOLOGICAL
ADVANCEMENT
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
* U.S industry technological advancement frequently
has been reinforced by congressional initiatives over
past 30 and more.
-U.S Industrial Competitiveness and Technological
Advancement article in 2012
* Increase in economic growth in the contribution to
the creation of new goods, new services, new job and
new capital because of the advances technology.
* Technology application can improve productivity and
quality of products.
CANADA, USA, NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA TO
EUROPE AND ASIA-PACIFIC
* Scientific developments and technological changes are
important drives of current economic performance.
* Some features of this transformation are the: Growing
impact of information and communications
technologies; rapid application of new products and
processes; a change to more knowledge-intensive
industries and services.
PHILIPPINES
 The technology market is facing crisis since the
economic environment of the developing
countries are opposing technology based
institutions.
- Research and Development and Technology in the
Philippines
ETHICAL DILEMMAS
 Science and technology as well as research and
development enjoy and must continue autto
enjoy onomy from the state and society.
-Technology Permeates every aspects of human life
and activity.
REAL-TIME SATELLITE SURVEILLANCE VIDEO
ASTRONAUT BIOTHICS
(of colonizing Mars)
- The colonization of Mars and plans for a long- term
space missions are already on going.
- On December 5, NASA launched the Orion spacecraft.
Charles Bolden a NASA Administrator declared it as a
“Day one Mars era”
- The Company of Mars one is preparing to launch a
robotic mission to Mars in 2018, with succeeding
humans in 2025.,
WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY
 wearable have the potential to teach us,
 protect our health, as well as violate our
 Privacy in any amount ways.
STATE-SPONSORED HACKTIVISM
AND SOFT WAR
-"Soft war" is a concept used to explain rights and
duties of is urgent even terrorists during armed
struggle.
-Soft war incorporates tactics other than armed forced
to achieve political ends.
-Hacktivism or Cyber war could the tools of
soft war, through states in inter-states conflict,
as opposed to isolated individuals or groups.
ENHANCE PATHOGENS
-October 17, 2014 the White House suspend a research
that
would enhance the pathogenicity of viruses.
-Gain-of-function research is not detrimental; it is used
to provide
vital understanding to virus and how to treat them.
NON-LETHAL WEAPONS
Weapons that may not kill but can cause serious pain,
physical injuries and long term health costs.
ROBOT SWARMS
Harvard University researchers newly created group of
1000 robots.

No human intervention is required on these

"kilobots" beyond the original set of instructions and

works together to complete tasks.

ARTIFICIAL FORMS

 Research on artificial life forms is an range of

synthetic biology focused on custom building
life forms to address specific purposes.
Synthetic life allows scientists to study the
origins of life by building it rather than breaking
it down. Making artificial life forms has been
deemed "playing God".

RESILIENT SOCIAL-ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS

 Resilient Social-Ecological Systems is what we

need to build. Tolerantly being pushed to an
extreme while maintaining their functionality
either by returning to the early state or by
operating a new state. Able to stand extreme
weather events or regain functionality quickly
afterwards is an example.

BRAIN-TO-BRAIN INTERFACES

 It's no Vulcan mind meld, but brain-to-brain

interfaces have been achieved, allowing for
direct communication from one brain to
another without speech. The interactions can
be between humans or between humans and
animals.